Tag: makeup

Optimus PRIME!!

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Ok no transformers here, but if you think about it properly it does kinda seem like that. Face primers and eye primers DO transform. I’d like to share with you guys my favorite primers for eyes and face and for what skin types. This is my opinion and from my experience so far, it can be differ from person to person and may not necessarily work for you.

Eyes:
In general they pretty much all work but some have different texture and finishes therefore have a slightly different outcome. Personally I use all of them but depending on the look I want to acheive I alternate but these are my favorites.

The best so far is Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This is ideal for most type of eyes and looks, but I find it holds the color very well and easy to blend colors over it and layering. It goes on with a slightly oily feel but has a nice silky finish without being oily.
My second choice would be Raffael cosmetic Prime Time. This has a thick texture wich allows you to layer and put a nice amount of eyeshadows especially with black or vibrant colors. It holds it in place and  does not crease but it’s not ideal for people who have very oily lids.
My third choice is MAC’s paint pots in any shade. This too goes on very creamy and oily feel but dries as a powder, there is a variety of shades that can even be left alone with no worries of creasing. You can play with the eyeshadows to get different looks. This is good for anyone but idealy for people with very oily lids.

Face:
Here it’s tricky there are soooo many to choose from and the choices are tough…

Oily: Best bet is to go for MAC’s mattifying gel. Soaks up all excess oil leaving a matte clean look. If you don’t fully want the matte look you can always go for the next one.
Combination: Smashbox Photo finish primer. It evens out skin tone, leaves you with a perfect canvas for foundation or powder.
Dry: (smashbox would work as well) but my favorite is Cover FX Anti-aging primer. The reason why I like this one is because when your face is dry it tends to “crack” in some areas. This has a slight oily finish which slightly fills in those “cracks” and leaves a nice clean, dewy finish. Also good for people who have fine lines and wrinkles.

The importance of primers: it’s self-explanitory, it preps your face for a better finish. It creates a good base for your foundation or powder and holds it much longer than putting your foundation alone. Many people have spent so much money on products which thought they did not get the results they expected but that’s because they never put a base. That’s  why you hear people say they want a long lasting foundation cause the one they have doesn’t hold. Sometimes you don’t need all that crazy coverage foundation, all you need is a good base and a decent tinted moisturizer (please review my tinted moisturizer posted a few months ago to save money on this).

I hope this helps some of you with your daily routine and helps you save money on “disappointing” products when sometimes all you need is a good base.
Happy Valentine’s day to you all!!
xox

OOTD

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Hello Girlies!

Here’s an outfit of the day. This look is a casual-nice :

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Boots: are from X2B (borrowed from my sister shhhh! 😛 ) They are buckled at the top near the calves, high heal. The buckle slighly adds edge and makes it look more casual.
Skinny jeans: from Forever 21 a few months ago. Dark blue, stretch. Super versatile. You can wear them with flats, heals, boots, sandals… I have 3-4 pairs I wear these all the time.
Black stretch tank top: from Forever 21, well its a tank top soooo ya, very useful
Blouse: from Dynamite. Black see-through, with black and gold trim buttons and sleeves tie with same black gold trim button. This too can be versatile. You can add a belt since its loose or just wear it as is. To make it more sexy at a night out, you dont HAVE to put a tank top under.
Makeup: lipstick speed dial from MAC, eyes: carbon, print, all that glitters and jest.
I took this pic before I wore accessories but all I added was a small metal-dark grey bracelet  that a very good friend made.

Hope you have a good day
xox

 

Glymm Box – January 2013

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First Glymm box of the year!

As you all know, I chose this box as my only subscribtion (if you wanna know why, go see my previous post)…

Ok, so this is what I got in my january edition:
glymmjan

-Metallic silver/bronzy makeup case
-Coolway Boost serum: sample up to 5 uses. This is a hair restoring serum activated by low heat.
-360 skincare Lavender mint firming serum: sample up to 14 uses. Makes skin vibrant, youthful and radiant. Oh and Cruelty FREE 😉
-Lashem Double trouble Mascara: sample up to 14 uses. Suppose to enhance lash growth, gives volume and good for sensitve and fragile lashes… Interesting! 😛
-La Fresh Facial cleansing wipes: got 2 samples, 2 uses.  Perfect for on-th-go!
-Burts bees moisturizing cream: extra sample…

On the little booklet, there’s a promotion for a limited time only Sheswai nail lacquer trio for 36$ value of 48$. Also Lashem dynamic duo (mascara and liquid liner) for 32$ value of 40$.

I haven’t tried any products yet but every few months I’ll be posting a favorite beauty box samples and let you know which ones made me want or actually buy full size products.
To subscribe to this beauty box, click on the link on the right side bar: Subscribe to Glymm box HERE.
xox

Beauty Boxes and which ONE i chose!!

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Hello beauties,

So when I first started blogging I was posting all my beauty boxes. Then I didn’t feel like being annoying so i stopped showing what I was receiving. I was subscribed to 3 boxes: Glymm box, Glossy Box and Top box.
There is big difference in not only prices but also in the type of products.
Glossy box: was initially 15$ canadian shipping incl and it had a variety of drugstore products. This box had mainly full size products but in my opinion this was quantity over quality. Then the price went up to 21$ canadian and they added a small magazine with details on the products. I liked this box and the concept, i also liked the fact that I was getting a nice reusable box.

Glymm box: It was 11.50$ with shipping and although the samples were a lot smaller and fewer, the quality of the products were much more higher end. I would say this box is Quality over quantity. It is now 15$ per box and they send the products in a nice reusable makeup bag.

Top box: I wasn’t subscribed long enough to entirely compare with the others but the 2 first boxes didn’t fully impress me, there was a lot of hair products, makeup and rebate cards to products that were higher end. The samples were small and was barely able to really TEST the product. I believe it was 12$ every month and it came in a recycled cylinder box which to me was not useful or reusable in any way.

Now the winner for MY needs and expectations is Glymm. Don’t get me wrong it was an extremely tough choice cause they were all different in their own way. But MY goal was to try to find new and quality products. I wanted samples of products that I wouldn’t just randomly spend at a drugstore but wouldn’t chance buying expensive creams that I didn’t know the end results and waste my money. I also liked the fact that it came with a makeup bag. Sure they weren’t FULL size products but it was enough to make me try and see a difference. I had a tough choice between Glossy and Glymm cause they each had their own pros and cons. For me in the end it was quality over quantity and that’s why I chose Glymm. (also the products are always all available online and easy to shop from the site).
So I will be posting what I get in my Glymm boxes from now on.
Don’t think this was an easy choice for me, if i could’ve I would’ve kept all my subscribtions but unfortunately I didn’t feel the need.
Looking forward to sharing the glymm products.

Note: this is MY choice, MY opinion and may not be the same for your expectations and needs.

Pretty smart lips?!

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photo111
Mind games these titles 😛
I call it pretty smart lips, why you ask? It’s all about the lips… Noooooo it’s because the lipstick is CALLED pretty smart from Raffael Cosmetics. HAAAAHAAAA Got you… or not! 😛

Lately the weather here has been cold, really really cold! So aside from the really pink cheeks due to the extreme cold, I found my face looked blahhhhh.
So I played around with some lip colors to see which would be nice to wear everyday but not too much and then this one caught my attention! It’s been a week now, I wear this look almost every day, the only difference is the eye liner. For a more dramatic look I’ve been wearing black liquid eyeliner or brown depending on what I’m doing or if its only for work I only wear mascara.
It completes a basic look without looking too much, according to some coworkers I look “polished”. Not only is it a nice lip color but it’s also very lasting and does not dry out my lips.
LOVE IT!!

Holiday Makeup Inspirations

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The holidays are just around the corner!! I’m sure your starting to plan some outifts for a bunch of different parties coming up. Here are some ideas that can maybe inspire you or to glam up your look!!

The Classic Smokey Eye:
Doesn’t have to black, you can always do a nice dark green or purple smokey eye…

                  

Glitter Lids:
This look is so much fun for the holidays, you  can glam up ANY look just by adding glitter on your lids. This look can be messy but when applying glitter always put a tissue paper under your eyes for any excess fall-out to avoid the “Disco Ball” face (Haha!).

         

Even with the glitter you can play with different colors

 

 

 

If you don’t like Glittery Lids but want a touch of Glitz you can always just do a liner of glitter or line your liner like below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Last but not least the ultimate classic fire red lips or dark pink:

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you don’t have many different outfits sometimes using the same dress but tweeking up your look with different makeup and accessories, people might not even notice! Its all about putting the emphassis on something different (ex.: belt, stacked necklaces, eyes, lips, SHOES…)
I hope this gives you a few ideas for the holidays, have fun and enjoy every moment with family and friends. Eat lots and be safe.
Happy holidays!

Note: these pictures do not belong to me, these were just chosen randomly to give you ideas.

Happy Creepers!!

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Happy Halloween everyone! My favorite time of the year, the time where there are no limits to makeup and special effect are taken to extreme levels. I love it! Here’s a nice inspiration for you guys, this is my sister and her boyfriend as matchy skeletons so creepy 😛

Enjoy and don’t eat tooo much candy 😉

Makeup by Christina Paras

 

Products used: white and black halloween liquid makeup, raffael cosmetics transluscent powder, urban decay eye primer, old black liquid eye liner (to make the cracks), black gel liner, black mascara, raffael black carbon eye shadow and black eye liner in pencil in smolder.

The “Can’t-Go-Wrong” Fall/Winter look

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As much as I’m extremely in denial, summer is over or almost over. I find the one simple classic look that will NEVER seize to amaze and have a great impact is the pin-up. A simple black liner with red or dark pink lipstick. This look is so easy to dress up and dress down (just like the little black dress).

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This look is so easy to play up or down. You can obviously leave plain liner and lipstick or you can add a nice light shimmer on your lids to slightly glamourize your look , you can excentuate your crease with a light brown and a matte nude eye shadow all over the lid. You can make your liner really thin or really thick depending on your mood. So fun to work with. With this look, you cannot go wrong and it’s the best “go-to” color option for fall and winter.
On this picture I’m wearing Sublime lip liner by Raffael, MAC Red by MAC, Black Gel liner by Raffael.

Enjoy this weather, Fall is the best season (for me 😛 ) xox

(Dedicated to my “3rd sister”, cousin and best friend who always supported me no matter what and always followed my blog. She was not only my first follower and number 1 fan in everything I did, but in my eyes she was and still is a true inspiration in my everyday life. I always wanted to be just like her. I love her so much and everyday she’s missed more than ever but i know she’s in a wonderful place right now ❀ )

Makeup’s been up to lately

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Yes yes, I didn’t forget to update 😛
Lately I felt like totally changing up my makeup routine. Since I was on holidays I wasn’t in the mood for any heavy look. Since then I feel like this “new” routine has stuck to me, but it’s more like I’m addicted to the overall finished look. It has that matte but glowy summer look with a light sunkiss tan, not too over-done but excentuates my features!
I normally NEVER skip out on the foundation. If anything I wear liquid foundation every time I wear makeup. During my holdiays, I was not in the mood for heavy makeup at all. Before starting I obviously moisturized and put a primer.
I used the dual powder by Raffael Cosmetics in C4 – C5 (I normally use C2-C3). I always contour my face with mineralized skin finish by MAC in medium-dark. For blush my new favorite color is by Raffael Cosmetics in Joy #220 it’s a peachy-pink that has a light gold-ish shine to it (as shown in the picture below). It’s perfect for highlighting the cheeks or even alone as a blush and I mix in a touch of pink blush to give it a boost of color like Raffael Cosmetics in Playful #309 it’s a bit of dark pink so I use just a little.


As for eyes I’ve been keeping it simple with liquid liner and the mascara Pro from Raffael Cosmetics.
Lip liner I use Sienna by Raffael and lipstick I’m using either MAC – Angel or Raffael – Chouchou wichever I grab first (they’re both almost identical).

I recently went shoe shopping mania (obviously!) 😛 so I’m gonna take some pictures and post them up very soon 😉 Don’t forget I love shoes just as much as makeup!!!

For details on Raffael cosmetics or where to purchase Raffael cosmetics please email me at christina.paras@yahoo.ca and don’t be shy 😉

(This is NOT sponsored by any company what so ever. These are my own opinions and all products were purchased on my own.)

I’m BAACKKK

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UPDATE:

I was away on vacation for almost 2 weeks! I’m now back! Have some great things to share with you I will probably be doing a video this weekend for a haul (makeup, shoes and clothes), I will be posting my most used products on my vacation and my favorite products for the month of July.
I got my Glossy box and my Glymm bag for July but I won’t be posting details on those two, cause I’m searching new ideas for the use of those samples or different ways of presenting the samples. If you have any ideas, or want me to continue posting the products and details or even a suggestion please comment below 🙂
I’m glad to be back and will be updating very very soon 😀

xox